Founder & CEO | YSR, LLC (Nov 2023 – Present)

• Leads an innovative consultancy focused on Intercultural Experience Design and Architecture, particularly in Healthcare & Wellness Architecture and Organizational Change Management.

• Develops culturally aware design solutions to enhance health and wellness for diverse communities.

• Specializes in strategic organizational development, talent optimization, executive leadership, and intercultural management.

Principal, HealthCare Architect & Global Director of Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) | HKS, Inc. (2015 – June 2024)

• Advised major research efforts on inclusive design and the future of architecture.

• Led the design and planning of major healthcare and institutional projects, integrating patient-centered, inclusive, and sustainable design principles.

  • Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Wilmington, DE

  • Mount Sinai Hospital, Asunción, Paraguay

  • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Research Addition, Bethesda, MD

  • Methodist University Hospital Gary Shorb Tower, Memphis, TN

  • MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Surgical Pavilion, Washington, DC

  • SAUDES Austin Transit Partnership Project (ATP), Austin, TX

  • WellSpan York Main Pharmacy Renovation, York, PA

• Led J.E.D.I. initiatives globally, impacting 1,600+ employees. Incorporated equity frameworks into company policies, including hiring, promotions, and corporate culture.

Senior Design Professional | HOK, Washington, DC (2008 – 2015)

• Worked on large-scale healthcare, institutional, and urban planning projects, integrating sustainable and culturally sensitive design approaches.

• • University of Maryland Health Science Facility III, Baltimore, MD

  • Duke Raleigh Hospital Operating Room Addition, Raleigh, NC

  • Richmond County Justice Center, Richmond, VA

  • South Dhahran Housing Complex Master Plan, Saudi Arabia

  • King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Design Professional | SmithGroup, Washington, DC (2006 – 2008)

• Worked on mixed-use, commercial, and institutional projects, with a focus on sustainable design and adaptive reuse.

Academic Roles & Teaching Experience:

• Lecturer, Howard University (2025 – Present)

  • Teaching Pre-Design & Integrated Design Studio VI

• Guest Lecturer at Multiple Universities (2022 – Present)

  • Professional Practice & Leadership in Design courses at:

    • Kean University (Spring 2024)

    • Kansas State University (Fall 2022, Spring 2023)

    • George Washington University Corcoran School of the Arts & Design (2022 – 2024)

    • University of Colorado Denver (Summer 2022)

    • Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) (Spring 2022)

    • Howard University School of Architecture (Fall 2021)

    • Syracuse University School of Architecture (Teaching Assistant, 2005)

Mentorship & Higher Education Leadership:

• National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB) Visiting Team Member (2018, 2023 – 2024)

  • Assessed architecture programs for accreditation and contributed to shaping educational standards.

• University of Maryland School of Architecture Commencement Speaker (2024)

• Washington Architectural Foundation Mentor & K-12 Outreach Leader – Mentored students and engaged in STEAM education to promote architecture careers.

• Doctorate in Psychology (PsyD), Leadership Psychology
  William James College, Newton, MA (2024 – Present)

• Master of Architecture I
  Syracuse University School of Architecture, Syracuse, NY (2003 – 2005)

• Bachelor of Science, General Sciences with a Minor in Environmental Design (Magna Cum Laude)
  University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, San Juan, PR (1997 – 2003)

• Summer Design Studio Program
  Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture and Planning, New York, NY (2001)

• Summer Design Studio
  Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico City, Mexico (2002)

AIA National Leadership:

• Candidate for AIA 2026 Vice President / 2027 President-Elect

• AIA Large Firm Roundtable (LFRT) CEO JE|DI Task Force Member (2021-2024) – Led the development of the AIA LFRT J.E.D.I. Advocacy Guide.

• AIA National Board Associate Director (2020) – Advised on AIA National communications addressing social and climate justice.

• AIA Strategic Council Associate Director (2019)

• AIA Equity and the Future of Architecture Board Committee Member (2019-2020) - Advised on the creation of the Guides for Equitable Practice Executive Summaries

• AIA Reimagining - America: Strategies for Safer Buildings Task Force Member (2021)

• AIA New Urban Agenda Taskforce Member (2020-2021) – Contributed to AIA’s “Equitable Development Frameworks” initiative.

• AIA COVID-19 Health Impact Task Force Member (2020) – Led the Additional Considerations section for the AIA Alternative Care Site Preparedness Assessment Tool, shared globally by the U.S. State Department.

AIA Washington, DC Leadership:

• AIA Washington DC Chapter Immediate Past President (2024)

• AIA Washington DC Chapter Board President (2023) – Solidified the AIA DC Strategic Plan and redefined board engagement.

• AIA DC Chapter Board Vice President (2022)

• AIA DC Chapter Board Treasurer (2021)

• AIA DC Chapter Board Secretary (2020)

• AIA DC Chapter Director At-Large (2016-2019)

• AIA DC Equity Committee by WIELD Past Chair (2020)

Emerging Professionals & Advocacy Leadership:

• AIA National Associates Committee (NAC):

  • At-Large Director of Advocacy, Outreach & Education (2017 – 2018)

  • Mid-Atlantic Regional Associate Director (2015 – 2016)

• Founder, Women Inspiring Emerging Leaders in Design (WIELD) (2017 – 2020) – Created a platform for emerging women leaders in design.

• Co-Founder, Latin American Interior Designers, Engineers, and Architects (LA.IDEA) DC Committee (2013 – 2015) – First Hispanic/Latinx AIA DC committee promoting professional development and community engagement.

• National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB) Board Member (2023-2024) - Advocated for equity-driven policies and regulatory progress.

• National Organization of Minority Architects (NOMA) Research & Development Chair (2021 – 2022) – Embedded research and strategy into NOMA’s long-term mission.

• Women in Healthcare Industry Council Chair (2023) – Advocated for inclusive and equitable healthcare design.

• High-Profile J.E.D.I. Editorial Committee Member (2021 – 2022) – Contributed thought leadership on equity and inclusion in the built environment.

• International WELL Building Institute (IWBI) Health Equity Advisor (2021 – 2022) – Integrated health equity frameworks into WELL-certified projects.

• LCI DEI Advisory Group Member (2023 – 2024) – Provided expert guidance on industry-wide diversity initiatives.

• Advisor, DC NOMA Board (2021 – 2022) – Supported leadership and advocacy initiatives for minority architects.

• IIDA Talent Collective Founding Member (2023) – Advocated for inclusive talent pipelines in design industries.

• Urban Land Institute (ULI) Real Estate Exchange (REEX) Program Presenter (2022 – 2023) – Guided real estate professionals on equity-centered development.

• Mentor, National Architecture Accreditation Board (NAAB) Visiting Team Member (2018, 2023 – 2024) – Evaluated architectural education programs for accreditation.

Industry & Leadership Awards:

• Washington Business Journal Diversity in Business Award (2024)

• American Institute of Architects (AIA) Young Architect Award (2022)

• Women We Admire: Top 50 Women Leaders of DC (2022)

• Marquis Who’s Who in America – Executives Biographical Listee (2021)

• World Architecture News Female Frontier Awards – Pioneering Award Finalist (2021)

• AIA Diversity Recognition Program Award (2019)

• Great Diverse Designers Library – Designer Entry (2019)

• AIA Associate Award (2018)

Project & Design Awards:

• Equity by Design Hackathon Team Winners (2018)

• AIA Washington, DC Excellence Award in Urban Design/Master Planning – KAPSARC, HOK (2017)

• Design-Build Institute of America National Award of Merit – Richmond City Justice Center, HOK (2016)

• USGBC Best of Building Award – Best Regional Project Mid-East, KAPSARC, HOK (2015)

• AIA Religious Architecture New Facilities Honor Award – KAPSARC Community Mosque, HOK (2014)

• Faith & Form Magazine Religious Architecture Honor Award – KAPSARC Community Mosque, HOK (2014)

• USGBC LEED Core and Shell Project of the Year Award – 1331 L Street NW, SmithGroup (2009)

• Washington Architectural Foundation Firm of the Year Award – SmithGroup (2007)

Books & Chapters:

• Out in Architecture (2023) – Co-author and contributor, exploring LGBTQ+ experiences in architecture.

• Making the Invisible Visible in Latinas in Architecture: Stories of Raising the 1% One Latina at a Time (2021) – Personal narrative on equity, identity, and leadership in the field.

Articles & Thought Leadership:

• “Adopting the J.E.D.I. Mindset” – DesignIntelligence (2021) – Discusses Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (J.E.D.I.) in architecture.

• “It’s OK to See Color” – Architect Magazine (2019) – Addresses racial identity and representation in the design profession.

• “Reforming the Building Industry: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion” – BuildingGreen (2020) – Advocates for inclusive practices in the built environment.

Features & Interviews:

• Elevated Conversations: Yiselle Santos Rivera, AIA – AIA Architect (2022) – Highlights her career, advocacy, and leadership in architecture.

• “Voices of Change: Navigating DEI in the Built Environment” – DesignForce (2024) – Discusses strategies for diversity, equity, and inclusion in architecture.

• “Pride by Design: The Power of Storytelling to Transform” – Pride by Design (2023) – Explores the impact of storytelling in leadership and inclusivity.

• “How Design Can Benefit from Indigenous Ways of Being and Doing” – HKS Research (2023).